ARTICLES

Misshapen identity

Our writer’s personal journey on uncovering the lies surrounding the case of the James Bulger killer Jon Venables.

Jon Venables, one of Britain’s most notorious murderers, is now back in jail on child pornography charges. David James Smith, the writer who has followed his life from boy to man, tells the full story of his chaotic ‘rehabilitation’ — and how he uncovered the sex scandal surrounding Venables’ care.

More on my previously unsubstantiated claim that the writer-director Peter Kosminsky, creator of The Promise, is working on a drama about Nelson Mandela. I’ve now learnt that the project is a feature film, in development with Film 4, about the young Mandela. Kosminsky is currently at work on the script and, given the complaints about the anti-Jewish bias of The Promise, it is unlikely to be a standard bland portrait of the former South African president.

Latest Review

New York Times – J. M. Ledgard

Nelson Mandela was circumcised as a 16-year-old boy alongside a flowing river in the Eastern Cape. The ceremony was similar to those of other Bantu peoples. An elder moved through the line making ring-like cuts, and foreskins fell away. The boys could not so much as blink; it was a rite of passage that took you beyond pain. read full review